Management plan for Beeliar Regional Park released

17/10/06
The State Government today released the final management plan for Beeliar Regional Park, which contains one of the most important chains of wetlands in the Perth metropolitan area.
Environment Minister Mark McGowan said the park contained areas with extremely high conservation value, while providing the local community with the opportunity to recreate in the natural environment.
"The Beeliar wetlands are considered of international and national significance," Mr McGowan said.
"One of its wetlands, Thomsons Lake, has been listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention.
"The management plan outlines management strategies to balance conservation needs, recreational visitor use by the community, and pressures from surrounding development.
"Some of the wetlands in the park act as summer refuges for a diverse bird population, many of which are transequatorial migratory waders, protected by international agreements with Japan and China.
"The park also contains a wide variety of ecosystems ranging from coastal heath, banksia woodlands and fringing wetland vegetation to open water bodies. The vegetation communities found within the park are significant, as they are representative of communities once widespread on the Swan Coastal Plain but which have significantly decreased because of urban and industrial development.
"The park also has a rich Aboriginal and European cultural heritage and provides a great opportunity for educational and interpretive activities."
The Minister said the management plan was prepared by the Department of Environment and Conservation on behalf of the Conservation Commission of Western Australia, in close liaison with the City of Cockburn, City of Melville, Town of Kwinana, Murdoch University, the park's community advisory committee and other interested members of the community.
Copies of the plan are available on DEC's parks and conservation website at http://www.naturebase.net and from DEC's Regional Parks Unit, Level 1, 4-6 Short Street, Fremantle.
Minister's office - 9222 9111